it seems that i am the only one in ds school taking this heat seriously.

[stitch]

why why why?
it is 34 degrees celsius. my kids are in a school, wearing synthetic clothes. including ties. there are no fans in the class rooms. the sun is blazing into them from the wall which is just a giant glass. my ds1 was in the field in under the blazing sun, and not allowed to go to the water fountain without a monitor, or helper. the helpers were all clustered under the shade.

the head refused to talk to me as he was on his lunch break. he was wearing a full suit, tie jacket but had a fan on in the staffroom. the deputy head started spouting surrey count council regulations at me.
ffs i grew up in the middle east. i know what heat can do. she tells me they have never had a child faint. well. yes, but thats not good enough.
she says i am the only parent to have complained about this, but, i am also the only parent who grew up in a hot country, and realises the dangers of heat. sun cream doesnt prevent heatstroke or dehydration. or loss of concentration.

[EnidHobblingLikeAnOldWoman]

the heat really gets to you doesnt it stitch

I agree the heat is a bit of a problem at the moment although children seem more resilient than adults I have noticed. Are the kids not allowed to take their ties off?

[Lucycat]

My dd1 has to take a plastic bottle so that they can fill it with water and it gets taken outside onto the school field so they can have a drink when they like. Each class has their own box. They were also told that they must wear a hat if they want to play out in the sun. Could you suggest this to your school?

[nutcracker]

When I was in secondary school, the head had the most stupid rules regarding uniform.

We had to wait literally for someone to faint until it was declared a 'blazer off day'.

[stitch]

lucy i still dont think that is enough.
they dont take their water bottles with them. they should.
in this sort of weather, we would always have a water fight, and the teachers would let us as it was the only way to cool off.
we always had at least a fan in the classroom, if not an airconditioner.

what annoys me is they have interactive white boards in every classroom, but no fans. (its a state school, not a private school)

enid i know what the heat can do, thats why it worries me.

[stitch]

nutty, thats what the deputy head said to me, that no child has fainted.

[cupcakes]

our school seem to be taking the temp very seriously - today they cancelled sports day because it was too hot!!

[Caligula]

I think it's because we live in England and are pig-ignorant about heat tbh.

[stitch]

a child came itno the recpetion bit with a scraped knee. her face was all red from the heat. so the lady gave her some ice to hold on her forehead.
ffs. a splassh of cold water on her face in the playground would work better. solutions dont have to be high tech

[EnidHobblingLikeAnOldWoman]

but no child has fainted stitch - is that not a comfort?

[stitch]

i didnt dare say that to the deputy heads face, but i did think it. thank you for verbalising it caligula

[stitch]

no enid. because i have sent my chilid there to learn. andif he is feeling hot and dehydrated, and dozy from the heat, he wont do any learning. i might as well keep him at home and let him watch the boob tube.

[EnidHobblingLikeAnOldWoman]

no we arent! we just arent very well geared up for it. I resent the implication that only people from hot countries know what we are dealing with here.

huff. Now I have decided you are overreacting.

[stitch]

enid, i didnt say it. and i wouldnt say it either.

[EnidHobblingLikeAnOldWoman]

yes you did, yes you did, you said: "i am also the only parent who grew up in a hot country, and realises the dangers of heat"

[stitch]

but i do realise the dangers of heat, and i am the only one who is concerned it seems to me, in his schooll
oh god, i dont want this to turn into a racism, or coutryism thread.

[stitch]

i think i probly am overreacting then, as mumsnetters seem to be as unconcerned as the school is.

[misdee]

i hate the thought of my dd1 in school on days like this. she isnt one to drink much weater anyway, i have to remind her.

[Caligula]

It was me it was me tee hee hee tee hee! [troublemaker icon]

[lou33]

dd1's secondary school introduced a new policy of them not being able to take their sweatshirts off, even in this heat, unless the teacher says it is ok.

[aloha]

Actually, I agree children should be given access to water all day and access to shade if they don't at present. at ds's nursery all children have to have a sunhat, and are plastered in suncream by the teachers, and are given frequent water breaks.
I also think school uniforms are almost always vile. I never dress my children in synthetic fabrics because they are horrible. I hate those polyester shorts and poly shirts and nasty sweatshirts. I'm no fan of school uniform at all, tbh. My ds's primary (that he will go to next year) doesn't have a uniform and I am so pleased that I can dress him appropriately.

[aloha]

I also think it is OK to say that you have experienced how schools etc cope in hot countries. I think we could learn a lot. This country goes a bit doolally in the heat IMO.

[Kelly1978]

I wasn't worried before but it has made me think. I'm making sure ds gets extra drinks, but I can't be sure that dd is. Plus it's that hot that I don't want to go out, but dd has no choice. Why do they have sythetic clothes and ties on tho, can't u put them in cotton and leave the ties off? I've just bought dd some of those checked dresses. Only a few weeks left of term, but it's too hot for anything else.

[stitch]

what madness?
i rmemeber during a teaching practice, i kept thinking the kids were weird for keeping ther blazers on in the heat. i was boiling, but only one of them wasnt wearing a blazer.
i could not believe such a stupid rule could exist.

[aloha]

I also think children should be permitted to stay indoors when the weather is like this.

[crunchie]

Stich you are not overreacting tbh. I think the rules and regulations are daft, however I have no idea why your school is acting like they do.

Our primary school doesn't have ties, the uniform includes a summer dress, shorts and polo shirt for the boys. All the kids have free access to the water fountain and they HAVE to have sunscreen/hats with them. Your head sounds like a knob since you are right overheated kids are less likely to learn, and to say that NO CHILD have fainted yet it plain dumb. Just because 'NO CHILD' has drowned yet, does it mean we shouldn't have life gaurds in a pool, Why wait until an accient happens if it is preventable. ALl you want is free access to water, and a fan in a classroom - not alot really